Watch the exclusive Mr. Media interview with Nate Fakes, creator of the ‘Break of Day’ daily comic strip, by clicking on the video player above!

Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of wannabe cartoonists who all got rejected by newspaper syndicates for being unable to draw or write funny gags day after day after day after day… in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida!

Break of Day by Nate Fakes

Nate Fakes.

With a name like that, he’s pretty much got to be funny, right?

Fakes is the creator of “Break of Day,” a syndicated, single-panel daily comic strip in the mode of “The Far Side” or “Bizarro.” As are most successful newspaper comics, it is drawn in a style that is instantly recognizable and has a voice that is all Fake — I mean Fakes.

NATE FAKES audio excerpt: “Ever since I’ve had a box of Crayons, I’ve been drawing.”

You can LISTEN to this interview with cartoonist NATE FAKES, creator of BREAK OF DAY, by clicking the audio player above!

Three-hundred and sixty-five days a year, Fakes has to come up with a fresh gag that will evoke a smile, a chuckle, a belly laugh or even a declaration of “That’s what I’m talkin’ about!”

‘Don Giovanni’ is a graphic novel in the works from cartoonist Nate Fakes

I imagine there are days when it’s easy, when inspiration comes from all around.

And then there are probably days when his job seems like the worst possible way to earn a living in the world. An impossible task with no daylight ahead.

Complicating the work of the single-panel cartoonist is the lack of ongoing characters or storyline; unlike Rat and Pig in “Pearls Before Swine,” for example, Fakes can’t unfold a story over the course of a week, can’t demonstrate character development, or even stick with a single character.

Maybe that’s why he’s also broadening his palate with an in-development graphic novel for young people called “Don Giovanni.”

Oh, and one more thing you should know about Nate Fakes: he’s based right here in the NEW new media capitol of the world, St. Petersburg, Florida.

3 Comments

Just a clarification about the Reuben awards. There are separate division awards for syndicated panel comics, syndicated strip comics and magazine gag cartoons. The main Reuben (Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year) was won in both 2008 and 2009 by syndicated panel comic creators: Dave Coverly and Dan Piraro, respectively. In the last 7 years, the big Reuben has been won by syndicated comic strip creators only twice. There were also two MAD cartoonists and an editorial cartoonist.

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